Carton cover



Nov. 21, 1933. o. o. EGGEBRECHT CARTON COVER Filed May 19, 1933 l Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE CARTON COVER Application May 19, 1933. Serial No. 671,837

9 Claims.

The carton of the present invention is intended primarily as a receptacle for ice cream or the like, and possesses particular advantage in connection with the lling of such packages by automatic machinery. In such circumstances it is necessary that the top of the carton be of a form and character which enables it to be inserted quickly and withstand the air pressure which is instantly created in the insertion of the top into the carton, so that the top will not be forced upwardly by the entrapped air after the package has been filled. The invention, however, is one which is of value in any case in which it is desired to provide means for positively locking the cover against easy or accidental withdrawal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a form of locking means which can be readily formed in the manipulation of the blanks fr im which the carton and its cover are formed, and

which enables the cover to the easily positioned and inserted and thereafter locked within keepers in the contiguous walls of the carton, and so arranged as to hold the cover nrmly against either accidental inward or outward displacement.

I'he invention is also directed to a feature of construction in the formation of the cover which causes the walls thereof contiguous to the locking elements to be slightly bowed outwardly in order to more rmly and securely engage with the adiacent walls of the carton.

A further object is to so form the carton and cover as to prevent the cover from being inserted too deeply into the carton which might tend to force the contents out through any openings around the top of the package, and to maintain the cover definitely positioned within the carton after the interlock has been established.

Further objects and details of the invention will appear from the description thereof, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein,-

Figure l is a perspective view of an ice cream carton and cover provided with the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 vis a top view looking down inwardly into the carton with the cover in place;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the cover prior to folding and insertion;

Fig. 7 is a top view showing a slightly modified form of cover to afford a bowing or bulging effect; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the cover of Fig. 7.

The box or carton which serves for purposes of illustration is of the general character shown in Letters Patent No. 1,877,213, issued September 13, 1932, although the particular features of the present invention are in no way limited to a carton thus constructed.

As shown, the carton is of upwardly tapering formation and rectangular in cross-section, being formed to provide opposed side walls 10 of single-ply formation and opposed side walls 1l of 70 two-ply formation, including an inner layer 118L and an overlapped outer layer 11b, the two layers being substantially coextensive with one another. The carton further is provided with a bottom or base 12 which, as shown, is slightly elevated in 75 the center to afford a rim contact for the support of the carton. The body of the carton is preferably formed from a single blank of material, but the particular method of folding observed in providing the respective single and double carton 30 walls is immaterial in so far as the present invention is concerned.

Each of the opposed inner walls 11a at its upper edge is cut away to afford an inwardly extending notch 13, the upwardly presented base of which g5 affords a horizontal ledge 14, which on the outside is overlapped and protected by a keeper tongue 15 cut free on three sides from the wall section 11b. Each keeper tongue presents its free edge upwardly and is adapted to be sprung outwardly along a scored hinge line 16. The cutting free of the tongue affords a downwardly presented edge which coacts with the ledge 14, each keeper tongue being so positioned as to bring its upper free edge above the level of the contiguous ledge 14 and to bring its hinge line below the level of the ledge, from which it will be observed that the keeper tongue overlaps and encloses that portion of the carton which constitutes a keeper for the locking elements of the cover presently to be described.

The single walls 10-10 of the carton are each scored to afford an inwardly extending bead in the nature of a ledge or shoulder 17 standing at the level of the ledge 14 and adapted in conjunc- 105 tion therewith to furnish means for limiting the insertion of the cover. The cover comprises a substantially rectangular body portion 18 having outwardly extending flaps 19-19 and 20-20 formed in opposed relation along the edges and connected with the body along folding lines 21-21 and 22-22 respectively. Each of the flaps 2() is provided at its base with a slit 23, the ends of which are inturned and terminate at the folding line 22, which slitting furnishes an outwardly projecting locking tongue 24 so disposed that when the flaps 20-20 are bent upwardly, the locking tongues will project outwardly beyond the plane of the flaps, as best indicated in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6, the folding lines 22 extend in rightangle relation to the folding lines 21 so that the flaps 20 will be folded upwardly along a straight hinging line, but where a relatively tight fit is desired, it is preferred to have the folding lines 22 formed at an obtuse angle to the adjacent folding lines 21, so that the constituents of the folding line 22 onopposite sides of the medial tongue 24 will extend at a slight angle to one another and in combination afford an outwardly bowed folding line, with the result that the arrangement departs slightly from a truly aligned hinge for the flaps and causes the latter to resist upward bending and become slightly bowed during the bending operation, with the result that when the cover is inserted into place within the carton body, the bowed flaps of the cover will impinge tightly against the contiguous walls of the body and assist in holding the parts against displacement.

Although in Figs. 7 and 8, this bowing effect is applied only to the opposed flaps which afford the locking tongues, if desired the same effect may be provided for by outwardly bowing the hinge lines 21 in a similar manner.

When inserting the cover into place, the side flaps are bent upwardly to bring their ends into engagement at the corners and the cover is then inserted by forcing it downwardly with the locking tongues 24 aligned with the notches 13 in the inner walls 1l until the locking tongues snap into place against the ledges 14 with the outer end of each locking tongue engaged by the edge of the cut formed in freeing the keeper tongues 15, which latter will be sprung outwardly as shown in Fig. 4, and will bear against projecting upper edges of the locking tongues, thus affording a firm and secure interlock and at the same time protecting the contents of the package at the points where the locking tongues protrude through the walls of thecarton. In order to facilitate removal of the cover, the single walls 10 are provided with thumb notches 25 in their upper edges.

The locking arrangement above described is one which, when the parts are in inter-locked relation, holds the locking tongue in interlocked relation between the coacting edges presented by the cuts in the inner and outer wall sections, so that accidental vertical displacement in either direction is prevented, and the outstanding locking tongues 24 are sufliciently stiff and firm to prevent easy withdrawal of the cover save by the application of moderate force.

It will be observed that in the formation of the notches 13, the bases of which furnish the ledges 14, the material of the inner walls ds cut away so that only a single-ply thickness of material is provided, which is a desirable arrangement in that it affords suilicient flexibility at this point to permit the outstanding locking tongues to bend or bulge the carton walls outwardly during the insertion of the cover to a, sufficient degree to permit the tongues to be forced downwardly to the position required to secure the interlock.

It is desirable to form the carton and cover of relatively stiff paperboard so that it will accurately maintain its shape, without, however, possessing excessive stiffness or rigidity which might interfere with the insertion and removal of the cover.

Although the invention has been described with particularity as to detail, it is not the intention to limit the invention to the precise form and arrangement shown, since modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a box body having at least a portion of its wall of two-ply thickness, the inner ply being inwardly notched from its upper edge to afford a ledge at the base of the notch and the outer ply being cut to afford a downwardly presented edge in opposed contiguous relation to said ledge, and a cover configured to fit snugly within the confines of the box body and having an outwardly projecting locking tongue adapted when the cover is inserted to interlock between the ledge at the base of the notch in the inner body ply and the co-operating edge formed in the outer body ply.

2. The combination of a box body having at least a portion of its wall of two-ply thickness, the inner ply being inwardly notched from its upper edge to afford a ledge at the base of the notch and the outer ply being cut to afford a downwardly presented edge in opposed contiguous relation to said ledge, and a ,cover configured to t snugly within the confines of the box body and having an outwardly projecting locking tongue adapted when the cover is inserted to interlock between the ledge at the base of the notch in the inner body ply and the coeoperating edge formed in the outer body ply, and a keeper tongue connected to the outer ply and adapted to overlap the locking tongue when inserted.

3. The combination of a box body having at least a portion of its Wall of two-ply thickness, the inner ply being inwardly notched from its upper edge to afford a ledge at the base of the notch and the outer ply being cut to afford a downwardly presented edge in opposed contiguous relation to said ledge, and a cover configured to fit snugly within the confines of the box body and having an outwardly projecting locking tongue adapted when the cover is inserted to interlock between the ledge at the base of -the notch in the inner body ply and co-operating edge formed in the outer body ply, and a hinged keeper tongue on the outer ply adapted-to be forced outwardly froml the downwardly presented edge formed therein by contact of t,l e locking tongue on the cover when the cover is inserted.

4. 'I'he combination of a boxbody having at least a portion of its wall of two-ply thickness, the inner ply at its upper edge being notched inwardly to afford a base ledge and the notched portion being overlapped by the outer ply, the outer ply being provided with a cut affording a keeper tongue cut free on three sides and hinged to the outer ply along its base, the cutting free of the locking tongue affording a downwardly presented edge located slightly above the base ledge formed on the inner ply, and a cover formed to provide an outwardly extending locking tongue adapted to be forced through the notch in the inner ply and to be engaged between the base ledge in the inner ply and the opposed co-acting edge in the outer ply and to engage with the locking tongue on the outer ply in holding the parts in interlocked relation.

5. The combination of a box body having at least a portion ofits wall of two-ply thickness, the inner ply at its upper edge being notched inwardly to afford a base ledge and the notched portion being overlapped by the outer ply, the outer ply being provided with a cut affording a keeper tongue cut free on three sides and hinged to the outer ply along its base, the cutting free of the locking tongue affording a downwardly presented edge located slightly above the base ledge formed on the inner ply, and a cover having a flap secured to its edge interrupted by the cutting free of an outwardly projecting locking tongue, the flap being adapted to be bent upwardly to permit insertion of the cover and the outwardly projecting locking tongue being adapted to slip through the notch in the inner ply and to interlock between the base ledge thereof and the opposed edge in the outer ply and to bear against and displace the keeper tongue.

6. The combination of a box body having near its upper edge a keeper tongue cut free from the body wall around three sides of the tongue and hinged to the body wall at the base of the tongue, and a cover provided with a ap united to the cover along a folding line interrupted at an lntermediate point to afford an outwardly projecting locking tongue adapted when the cover is inserted to engage beneath the cut in the body wall and bear against and displace the keeper tongue.

'1. The combination of a box body formed to provide a keeper and a cover provided with a flap united to the body of the cover along an outwardly bowed hinge line interrupted at an intermediate point to afford an outwardly projecting locking tongue, the cover flap being upwardly folded and outwardly bowed and adapted when the cover is inserted to mpinge tightly against the contiguous wall of the body, and the outwardly projecting locking tongue being adapted to engage with the keeper.

8. The combination of a box body formed to provide a keeper and a cover provided with a ap united to the body of the cover along an outwardly bowed hinge line interrupted at an intermediate point to aiord an outwardly projecting locking tongue, the cover flap being upwardly folded and outwardly bowed and adapted when the cover is inserted to mpinge tightly against the contiguous wall of the body, and the outwardly projecting locking tongue being adapted to engage with the keeper, the keeper being formed to include a hinged tongue cut free on three sides from the body and adapted to be engaged and displaced by contact with the locking tongue.

9. The combination of a box body and a cover configured to nt snugly within the box body and provided with a flap secured to the cover along an outwardly bowed folding line, the ap being upwardly folded and outwardly bowed to mpinge firmly against the contiguous wall of the box body when the cover is inserted.

OSCAR O. EGGEBRECHT. 

